Muslim weddings

Islam, the world’s second largest religion after Christianity, was founded by the Prophet Muhammad in the seventh century AD. It is still the leading faith in the Arab world, as well as in most of the Middle East. Islam is much more than a religion: it also supplies the guiding principles of political and social life.

In Islam, it is considered both a religious duty and a social necessity to get married. Thus there is a great emphasis on the religious and social dimensions of the ceremony, which usually lasts about one-and-a-half hours.

The ceremony is generally a well-attended affair, though to make it official, only two male witnesses are required. The wedding always retains a spirit of simplicity, in accordance with the tenets of Islam

Planning Muslim wedding

• The Muslim calendar works on a lunar cycle, so there are no fixed days for weddings. However, it is forbidden to marry on the two days of Eid, which occur after the feast of Ramadan, and the Day of Pilgrimage. It is also impossible to marry on the Day of Ashura, which falls on either the 9th or 10th day of the Islamic first month (Muharran).
• You can marry at any time of the day.
• There is no fixed notice period required before marriage, as, in Islam, there’s no registrar system.

Muslim wedding wear

Traditionally, the Asian Muslim bride wears sparkling, bright clothes, with lots of jewellery and flowers. This is in contrast to the Arab Muslim bride, who traditionally wears a white dress and veil, like her Christian counterpart. Her hands and feet are decorated with henna tattoos (Mehndi).

The groom wears a simple outfit, either traditional or a western-style suit - or a combination of the two.

On the big day

• The marriage ceremony itself is called the Nikah. The bride and groom are separated, either in different parts of the hall, or in different rooms. Guests are traditionally also separated by gender, although in Western cultures they may be mixed.
• The marriage party listens to a marriage sermon given by the Muslim officiating at the service. This serves to solemnise the marriage. There are no particular specifications so the marriage ceremony is very much up to the Qazi performing the ritual. Some recite the Fatihah (the first chapter of the Koran) and the blessing or durud.
• Traditionally, there is no service sheet, although, in recent years, texts have been supplied.
• The marriage documents (contract and certificate) are filed at the mosque and the local government. The ceremony ends with a prayer (Duoa) for the bride and groom, their families, and the Muslim community at large.
• You can throw confetti, but it is more traditional to shower the bride with coins, a ritual known as Savaqah.
• A marriage banquet, or Walima, follows the ceremony, served to the men and women separately. After the meal the couple are seated together for the first time, their heads covered by a dupatta and prayers are read.

The bride and groom spend the first night of married life at her house, in separate rooms. In the morning, the groom’s father will escort them to their new home and give the bride’s hand to her husband, asking him to protect his daughter. This farewell ritual is known as the rukhsat.

Hindu weddings

Now we will dicuss about different traditions in different religions. Different faiths have different and fascinating wedding traditions. From preparation beforehand to what to wear at the ceremony, this perfect planner outlines the wedding rituals of the main religious strands, helping you to plan your wedding and to know what to expect.

So today we are starting with traditional Hindu wedding.

The Hindu marriage usually takes place in the bride’s place or city. Traditionally, all it is organised and paid for by the bride’s parents. The bride is known as the Dulhan, the groom as the Dulha.

• A Hindu wedding is a religious ceremony and one of the most important of the sixteen Hindu sanskars or sacraments. It is seen, not only as the bond between two people, but also the bond between two families.

• The ceremony lasts a minimum of one-and-a-half-hours, but the preparations and celebrations begin weeks before the actual ceremony and continue afterward.

• The Hindu service is performed by a male Brahmin priest in accordance with the holy verses (mantras) from the Vedas -- the Hindu holy book.

• The ceremony takes place in a venue chosen by the bride’s family. This is normally a town hall or community hall, or a hotel, depending on the budget of the bride’s family. There are then blessings in the temple after the service.

• The Hindu wedding ceremony is not recognised by British law. It is therefore also necessary to marry in a civil register office and follow this with a Hindu ceremony.

• A Traditional wedding invitation is sent to all relatives & friends.
  

Planning the Hindu wedding

• Astrological charts are consulted to choose a day for the wedding that’s considered auspicious. Some days are not permitted for weddings: the Hindu calendar is lunar based, and has a day in each month called Amas, for instance, when it is forbidden to marry. It is also impossible to marry during Shraaddh, a two-week period during September, and 15 days before the festival of Holi. These periods are considered as unlucky for marriage. In each case the Hindu calendar must be consulted, as these dates change each year.

• The couple usually meet the Brahmin prior to the ceremony. This is so the priest can explain the significance of the ceremony and answer any questions the bride and groom might have.

Choosing your wedding colour scheme

You'll be spending the majority of your wedding day enjoying the reception - having a wonderful meal, listening to speeches, cutting the designer wedding cake and then probably dancing until dawn - so it's important to create an environment that you feel suits the tone of your day. Try to focus on a color scheme, whether it's just one color or a combination of two. Silver and gold generally combine well with most colors, or you might decide to go for a contemporary look such as chocolate brown and mint green.

If you've already chosen your colour, youíre halfway there! If you haven't, take inspiration from your venue. Perhaps there is a colour that will work particularly well. If, for example, the venue has a red carpet, you might decide to work with that. Also consider the time of year and the time of day of your wedding. Rich, heavy colours tend to work well at a winter wedding, while summer weddings lend themselves to pastel hues and softer shades. And, finally, think about what you like. There's no point having pink if your fiance hates the colour!

Wedding Rings

The WEDDING RING is universally accepted today the symbol of love in marriage in the West. You can buy a variety of rings of marriage, everything from the pledge and commitment through marriage and eternity! The original tradition was much simpler and dating thousands of years.

History

We'll probably never know when the wedding ring custom began, almost certainly predates written history. The circle has long been taken to represent eternity and, therefore, a symbol of eternal love - whether or not formalised in a system such as marriage. It is also likely that for me as soon as bands marriage symbolic associations with the sun and the moon, however, is that speculation on my part.

The ring was as simple and pragmatic. In the days that preceded the metalworking has been created, you can not just walk into a store and buy a gold ring! The group could be made instead of something as simple as twigs wrapped around the finger - or perhaps the wrist or ankle. It is clear that these natural chips should be replaced often an early form of renewal of vows.

The first written references to wedding rings date from ancient Egypt period around 5000 years. It is interesting to note that although these groups represented a commitment that the company, it does not necessarily mean monogamy.

Ownership

Many of our modern customs is a symbolic baggage that makes us uncomfortable today and the wedding ring is no exception. In many societies and many times it was a symbol of ownership, usually the wife of the man. This was in effect a "branding" of women.

He said that the puzzle ring originated as an attempt to ensure the woman is faithful when the husband was away. If it is removed from her ring finger to pretend to be unique, it will fall Apart.

In England, there are stories that the illiterate young women in the Middle Ages was led to believe that any form of a ring represents the legal and / or religiousy binding marriage. A fraud Casanova time to slip a ring on the girl's finger to persuade her to spend the night with him - before he slipped away the next morning.

Today

Today, wedding ring still symbolizes property after a fashion, but for most couples is much more enlightened form. Ownership is also involved in the interaction and mutual care and respect. This is the positive meaning of the circle, without beginning or end - two halves united as one.

How is everything in the modern world, is a huge selection of wedding ring styles are available for purchase. Some are set with diamonds, others are simple silver or gold belts. Kovů, such as white gold, platinum and titanium are also popular. For those with Celtic roots, or taste the Irish band Claddagh is a popular design choice. If you have a skill, there are still places that will allow you to propose your own rings.